![Reuters Russian Orthodox clergymen sprinkle holy water on fire trucks during a service near the scene of a fire at the Proletarsk fuel depot](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/afa2/live/84187f20-5fd7-11ef-b970-9f202720b57a.jpg.webp)
Russian Orthodox clergymen have visited the scene of an enormous fireplace at a gasoline depot, which continues to burn three days after being set alight in a Ukrainian drone assault.
Greater than 500 firefighters have been tackling the large blaze on the Proletarsk oil storage facility in Rostov area.
About 20 of 74 storage tanks have been on fireplace, native authorities informed the RIA information company.
On Wednesday, native Orthodox clergymen stated prayers subsequent to the fireplace engines and introduced an icon to the scene in help of firefighters’ efforts.
“The [priests] spoke with the firefighters and blessed all the fireplace tools,” the native Volgodonsk eparchy – the Russian Orthodox Church equal of a diocese – informed Reuters information company.
They introduced with them a big icon of the Unburnt Bush, thought of a talisman in opposition to fireplace.
In response to regional governor Vasily Golubev, air defences shot down the Ukrainian drone on 18 August, however its particles triggered diesel gasoline to ignite on the territory of the power.
The authorities have declared a state of emergency, however the native metropolis administration, quoted by Russian state media, stated there was no risk of the fireplace spreading to residential areas and referred to as on folks “to not give in to panic”.
Mr Golubev stated 41 firefighters had obtained medical remedy for the results of the blaze, together with 5 who had been positioned in emergency care.
Ukraine has not commented on the strike – however its forces have been concentrating on Russia’s oil infrastructure as a part of their efforts to counter Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022.
![Reuters Russian Orthodox clergymen conduct a service around the Unburnt Bush icon, which is considered by Christians in Russia as a talisman against fire, near the accident site at the Proletarsk fuel depot that caught fire following a reported Ukraine's drone attack in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the Rostov region](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/bb66/live/220fa830-5fdc-11ef-8b3a-855e585a4dd6.jpg.webp)
Additionally on Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reported placing an S-300 air defence system close to the Russian metropolis of Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov area.
The strike was carried out by the Ukrainian Navy in co-operation with different items, the final employees of the Ukrainian armed forces stated on Fb.
“Ukraine’s defence forces proceed to weaken Russian invaders’ air defence,” it stated.
“It’s value noting that Russian invaders additionally use S-300 programs for strikes on peaceable Ukrainian cities, destroying residential buildings and terrorising civilian inhabitants,” it added.
Drones above Moscow
Elsewhere on Russian soil, Moscow stated its air defences had shot down 11 Ukrainian drones concentrating on the town.
The town’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, stated it was one of many largest assaults on the Russian capital for the reason that battle began, however there have been no experiences of injury or casualties.
On the similar time, Ukrainian defences reported stopping 50 Russian drones and missiles.
“The enemy continues to assault our area with strike drones. The air raid lasted all evening and into the morning for greater than 9 hours,” Kyiv’s navy administration stated on Telegram.
A non-public home was broken by falling particles, whereas energy traces have been severed, it added.
On the bottom, Ukraine is constant to carry a swathe of territory in Russia’s Kursk area, following its cross-border incursion that started on 6 August.
It’s the first time that Russian territory has been occupied by a overseas energy since World Conflict Two.
In the meantime, Russian forces are urgent laborious in direction of the town of Pokrovsk in jap Ukraine.